Ak’siSpaza is a family centred dramedy that is set in a local, family run supermarket. The modest store of our series is staffed by a family of oddball employees with a set of varying personalities and stories; from recent Matric drop-outs to eternal dreamers and life long suffering cashiers. Together they must all face the daily grind of discount hunters, the torture of end of season sales, awkward training sessions and sales targets while balancing their own personal lives. Geographically, the series is set in Kliptown, an area which brings together black and coloured staff and patrons which allows for the series to present multiple and contradicting perspectives across colour, generational and class boundaries.

The concept behind Ak’siSpaza focuses on the idea of working with your family. It has always been believed that mixing business with family is not a good idea. It is said that one always has to separate work from personal life and that in the workplace nothing should be taken personally. But what happens when you work with your family and the very people you are supposed to open up to about your workplace challenges are the cause of your workplace stress? Working with family means that every criticism is taken personally and every fight will inevitably be taken home. Ak’siSpaza is about taking the dysfunctions of family and putting them in a place where they will eventually lead to conflicting and humorous situations.

In the first episode, after his mother’s funeral, Tshiamo is shocked when his father (Bra Pantsula) returns out of the blue and learns that he has to share 50% of his inherited store with his estranged father. Kopano gets punished for fighting at school when Tshiamo forces him to work at the store.

“The dramedy delves into the difficulties surrounding running a business. Issues around customer services, innovative marketing and managing staff are all complications every businessman has to face. We get to learn the challenges of a family run business with all the challenges. We hope that the show inspires a spirit of entrepreneurship that is so desperately needed in this country. The world has been going through a lot with lockdowns which subsequently caused the economic downfall and more unemployment. We show a man who tries and fails. But he always picks himself up and keeps fighting to achieve success. This enduring spirit is what we hope will inspire the audience in their career endeavors.” said, Zandile Nkonyeni – Head of PR – SABC TV.